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Have you ever seen somebody on the stream with their fly rod held high? Do you wonder what they are doing in the middle of the stream? They are performing the art of high sticking also known as short line nymphing. This type of fishing will often out produce other techniques. Some of my best days on the streams occur when I am high sticking. It is a great skill to learn for use when there is no hatch present.

The preferred rod for high sticking is a 9ft long rod with a fast action. A fast action provides greater feel as the line moves along the bottom. The longer length rod allows you to keep as much line off the water as possible as this will cause drag. People have been known to use rods as long as 12 feet in order to obtain a longer reach and More...

There was a time when most anglers carried a cane rod 8-9 feet long with a reel filled with 6 weight level line. In the 1950′s fiberglass became popular, particularly with anglers on a budget, as these rods could be mass produced. Cane rods were still mostly built one at a time. In the 70′s and early 80′s, graphite (and boron for a time) became the new miracle fiber. Some traditionalist scoffed, but the graphite fly rod was ingrained in the fiber of fly fishing forever.

Today, cane rods are primarily used by traditionalists. Since cane rods are still for the most part produced one at a time, the prices are fairly expensive, with most new rods running $500 and up.

Fiberglass fly rods are still popular with some anglers, particularly those who prefer more moderate action rods. Small streams and very soft presentations More...